Combined steam generator and engine



W. I. HOOVER.

COMBINED STEAM GENERATOR AND ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA 4. 1919 1,361,330, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

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172 06; Zfiif" QZF W. I. HOOVER.

COMBINED STEAM GENERATGR AND ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1919.

1,361,330, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

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PATENT OFFICE.

COMBINED STEAM GENERATOR AN'D ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Extent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application filed September 4,1919. Serial No. 321,545.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVAI/rER I. Hoovnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Steam Generators and Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in combined steam generators and engines.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a combined steam generator and engine in which the two devices are inseparably associated, and are interdependent.

Another object is to provide a device, of the character described, in which the engine automatically determines the quantity of water, or vapor, to be flashed into steam in the generator, from time to time, to maintain constant speed of the power shaft under var ing load conditions.

ther objects of the invention are generally to improve devices of this character; to reduce their size and cost, thereby to enlarge the field of their usefulness; to increase their operative efficiency; cleanliness of operation, and to decrease the cost of maintenance.

Other and more specific objects of the invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

The invention contemplates the use of a body of metal, such for example as melted lead, and the means to admit a spray of vapor or water into a container in which the lead is placed, and to project this fluid on the top surface of the lead, whereby it is immediately flashed into steam. One wall of the lead container is a reciprocatable piston, connected to the main shaft of the engine, and upon the expansion of the water or vapor into steam the movable wall or piston is caused, by the ex ansion, to move out of the cylinder or lea receptacle, and,

being connected to a crank shaft, transmits ts reciprocating motion into rotary motion in the usual manner, between a piston and shaft, in engines of this general character.

In the structure which has been chosen to illustrate the invention, 10 is a base plate, having extended portions 11 and 12. Located on the corners of the base plate 10 are four converging standards 13 and 13', 14 and 14:. The standards 13 and 13' meet in the shaft bearing 15, while the standards 14 and 14' meet in the shaft bearing 16.

The main power shaft 17 is supported in the bearings 15 and 16 and carries, on its outer end, a pulley 18, from which power may be taken when generated by the combined steam generator and engine. 19 is a crank shaft and 20 is a momentum, or flywheel, secured to the shaft 17 by suitable means. An out board bearing 21, for the shaft 17, is supported on pillars 22.

The generator consists of a cylinder-like receptacle 23, with a top or cover plate 24. It is also provided with hearing members 25 and 26, which project from the bottom wall of the receptacle. A stud shaft 27 is secured in the bearing 25 and is movable in the bearing 28, which is supported on the base plate 10. Another stud shaft 29 is hollow, and is secured in the bearing 26, and rotatably supported in the bearing 30, which is fixed to the base plate 10. Now it will be manifest that the structure 23 may be oscillated upon the bearings described.

The piston 31. consists of a hollow open end cylindrical portion 32 that is adapted to be reciprocated within the metal receptacle 23. It is connected to a piston rod 34, as in 33, and passes through a water jacketed bearing 35, which is fixed to the part 23 as by arms 36, and moves with the piston rod 3% and the container, or receptacle 23, in their operations. The upper end of the piston rod 34 is connected to the crank shaft 19, as at 37. A gland 38 confines packing 39 within the cover portion 24. of the container 23, to thereby pack the piston and make it substantially pressure tight within the receptacle 23. The receptacle 23 is partially filled with lead 40, up to a level substantially as shown at 41, and when the lead is melted, the open end part 32 of the piston, freely moves in the receptacle 23 within the mass of liquid lead. A heater 43 consists of an open conduit, closed from the lead, through which a blast of heat, supplied from any source, such as a torch or blast, will pass into the pipe 44. The heat will pass into the tube or pipe 44, then into the part 43. down through the part 45, then up through the part 46, and then across through the part 47 and down through the part 48, and across through the part 49, and then up through the part 50, and out thron h the nine 51. This will heat the lead and maintain it in liquid form. Any other means for heating the receptacle 23, or its content, may be employed, within the spirit of my invention, and any other suitable metal may be used instead of lead.

Between the stud shafts 27 and 29 is a vertical tube provided with a valve 53 normally seated on a port at the top end of the tube, by a spring Another tube, or spraying nozzle 55, is provided with an enlarged end 56, which incloses the valve 53 and permits is to be freely moved in a vertical path. The upper end 57 of the nozzle projects into a depression 58, made in a plate 59, so that when the liquid is forced through the vertical tube, the nozzle 48, and out through the end 57 of the nozzle, it is broken up and finally atomized in the opening 58.

A pipe 60 conducts the water, or vapor into the vertical tube 52, controlled by a valve 61, and supplemented by another valve 62. The pipe 63 leads to a suitable source of vapor or water supply and the water that passes through the pipe 63 is preferably subjected to a relatively high pressure. 1 cam 64 is secured to the shaft 17 and operates a vertically movable rod 65, by means of a roller 66, which bears upon the face of the cam. The rod 65 is connected to a lever 66, which is pivoted as at 67, the short end 68 of which is connected to the valve stem 69. The valve is normally held closed by an open coil spring 70, when the cam 64 is not in position to open it, so that once in every revolution, the cam 64 will open the valve 61, to a definite extent and for a definite period of time. The valve 62 is controlled by a speed-responsive governor 71, which is rotated by a belt 72 from a pulley 7 3 on the power shaft 17. The stem (4: of the governor bears upon the extended end 75 of a lever which is pivoted, as at 76, and to which is connected the valve stem 77, as at 78. Normally the spring 79 will hold the valve 62 closed except when it is opened by the governor. From the description and illustration it will be manifest that as the speed of the shaft 73 increases the valve 62 will be closed by the effect of the governor; so that the pulley 18 of the engine will deliver power at substantially constant speed irrespective of the load imposed upon it.

To start the engine it is necessary to marily melt the lead 40, within the riash boiler, or receptacle 23. At the proper time, when the piston 31 is in the in position, as shown in Fig. 1, water is injected through the conduit 60 into the pipe 52 and sprayed out of the nozzle 57 over the top surface of the lead, as at 41, and the lead, being extremely hot at this time, causes the vapor or atomized water to instantly flash into steam, causing a high pressure within the cylinder 23, and forcing the piston 31 outwardly, thereby rotating the power shaft 17. The momentum of the fly-wheel 20 will carry the shaft over the dead center, or a plurality of devices, substantially as shown in Fig. 1, may be employed, as with other engines, and set in fixed manner with respect to the angular displacement of the crank on the shaft, so as to positively maintain the same in operation, just as plural cylinder engines perform this function, in addition to the function of the momentum or fly wheel 20.

Another advantage derived from the use of liquid metal is that the metal acts as a seal between the piston and cylinder and no piston rings are necessary to prevent the premature escape of steam.

As the piston 31 is forced outwardly from the cylinder 23, the exhaust valve 80 is opened, near the end of the out stroke of the piston. The valve stem 81, of the exhaust valve, passes through a guide 82 on the bearing 35, and its upper end carries a collar 83, between which and bearing 82 is an open helical spring 84. Near the lower end of the valve stem 81 is an arm 85, which projects laterally from the valve stem and when the piston 31 has about completed its out stroke the arm 85 will be brought into contact with an adjustable stop 86, adj ustably secured on the vertical rod 87. The effect of this is to sto the movement of the exhaust valve 80, while the piston proceeds further in its excursion, and leaves the valve, thereby opening the port formerly closed by the valve 80, and causing the expanded or spent vapor or steam, within the cylinder 23, to become exhausted. Immediately upon the return of the piston 31, on its instroke, or at a suitable point that may be regulated or determined, the valve 80 will close and the piston 31 will be returned to the position from which it moved by the previous impulse, and which is shown in Fig. 1.

Of course, there are many variations in the general arrangement and configuration of the parts within the skill of one who is versed in the art, that may be substituted for the precise structure shown. The inventive concept and an a plication of the principles is disclosed herein. And it will be evident that other material or substances may be used instead of lead within the receptacle or steam generator 23, and where lead is used in the claims, they must be interpreted to mean any suitable metal or substance. The object of using the lead is to conserve the heat, so that the full effect of the con served heat may be instantly received by the comminuted liquid forced into the steam generator.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A power generating engine having a cylinder containing molten metal, a piston mounted for reciprocation within said cylinder and partially immersed at all times in the molten metal to prevent the premature escape of the expanding ifluid, and means for intermittently spraying an expansible fluid against the molten metal.

2. A power generating engine having a cylinder containing molten metal, a hollow piston mounted to reciprocate within said cylinder and forming an expansion chamber above the surface of the metal, and means for intermittently spraying an expansible fluid into the expansion chamber to be heated and expanded by the molten metahthe molten metal cooperating with said piston to prevent the premature escape of the expanding fluid.

3. An engine and steam generator, having in combinative association a steam receptacle; a melted metal partially filling said receptacle; means to melt said metal and to maintain it in a melted condition; a spraying nozzle in said receptacle, terminating above the body of melted metal; a piston reciprocatable in said receptacle and adapted to be partially immersed in said metal; a shaft to which the piston is connected, and means to inject a charge of expansible fluid into said receptacle to make steam, in timed relation with the movement of said piston.

4. An engine and steam generator, having in combinative association a receptacle within which the engine piston is caused to reciprocate; a body of lead, partially filling said receptacle, and within the path of the piston; means to melt the lead and to maintain it in a melted condition; and a nozzle for introducing water or vapor within the receptacle above the lead level and between it and the piston in proper cyclic intervals, to produce steam, to move the piston.

An engine and steam generator, having in combinative association a receptacle with in which the piston is caused to reciprocate; a hollow piston, having its outer wall closed and reciprocatable within said rec'eptacle; a body of lead, partially fillin said receptacle, and within the open end 0 the piston; means to melt the lead and to maintain it in a melted condition; a nozzle for introducing water or vapor within the receptacle, above the lead and between it and the piston, in proper cyciic intervals, to produce charges of steam, thereby to give a power impulse to the piston for each outward cycle of its operation.

6. An engine and steam generator, having in rombinative association a cylindrical receptacle, pivoted at its lower closed end; a hollow piston having its lower end open and its upper end closed, movable axially within the cylinder; a body of melted lead, partially filling the cylinder and surrounding the lower end of the piston when the latter is wholly within the cylinder; a power shaft having a crank; a piston rod connecting the crank and piston and means timed by the shaft to introduce charges of water or vapor, above the body of lead in said cylinder to thereby produce steam, to drive the piston on its ontstroke from the cylinder.

T. In a device oi the character described, having in combinative association a cylinder; a piston, axially movable therein; a body of melted lead within the cylinder, and means for introducing periodically charges of water above the lead, in timed relation with the movement of the piston.

8. A device of the character described, having in combinative association a cylinder: :2 piston, axially movable therein; a body of melted lead within the cylinder; a conduit in the cylinder through which to conduct heat to melt the lead and to maintain it in a melted condition, and means for introducing periodically charges of water above the lead in timed relation with the piston, and speed-responsive means for varying the volume of the charges of water.

9. An engine having a cylinder containing molten metal, and a hollow piston mounted to reciprocate within said cylinder and having one end closed to provide a fluid expansion chamber to receive an expandible fluid above the molten metal, the metal acting as a packing to prevent the premature escape of an expanding fluid from the chamher.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

WALTER I. HOOVER. 

